xxvii, 345 pages : 25 cm

Mixing scholarship and nostalgia, this volume examines how American society has shaped--and been shaped by--television

Includes bibliographical references (pages 311-315) and index

Introduction : the culture of television's content -- The seeds of television programming : the networks steal from radio -- Tinseltown comes to TV -- From prairie to pavement : the lawman's lonely ride -- Medicinal myopia : television makes house calls -- Mirroring the melting pot : gender, race, and religion -- The sitcom : innocence versus urban chic -- Television and the comics -- Television drama : from the Golden Age to the soap factory -- Reality TV : surviving the trend -- Talk TV : running at the mouth -- Kids, cartoons, puppets, and Muppets -- Television's telltale tube : fantasy, science fiction, and the occult -- Setting the agenda : television news style and substance -- Miniseries/docudrama : a delicate balance -- Sports and television : the tortoise meets the hare -- Trends and issues

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